


Lance's Future

by Bang Bang Beef Keef (kelamorrison), Chilly Super Punk (kelamorrison)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Canon Compliant, Depressed Lance (Voltron), Explanation for Lance's Altean marks - Freeform, First Kiss, First klance kiss - Freeform, Gay Keith (Voltron), Happy Birthday Lance (Voltron), Heaven is Klance Fluff, Hunk is best wingman - Freeform, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Fluff, Kosmo is best boy, M/M, Pidge is perfect and weird, Soft Keith/Lance (Voltron), Supportive Keith (Voltron), confression of feelings, klance, klance happy ending, post season eight, reference to one-sided Plance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 07:33:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17421704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kelamorrison/pseuds/Bang%20Bang%20Beef%20Keef, https://archiveofourown.org/users/kelamorrison/pseuds/Chilly%20Super%20Punk
Summary: Lance doesn't leave the farm much these days so Keith has to twist his arm before he can whisk him off for the night. Hunk and Pidge have a surprise for Lance, something to show how much they care and have been worrying about him during this hard time. With encouragement from his friends, Lance realizes it's finally time to face this thing between him and Keith.





	Lance's Future

**Author's Note:**

> Happy One Month Anniversary of when none of our dreams came true through Season Eight Canon!!! I've been wanting to get this sweet little klance one-shot out into the universe ever since then. Finally ready! Enjoy!
> 
> xoxox Chilly (a.k.a. BBBK)

“Lance! The Fonz wannabe is here to see you!” Rachel called from the house.

Lance stood up and brushed the dirt from his hands. “Be right there!” It was weird that Keith would show up for a visit considering he’d dropped by last week. Earth wasn’t exactly a pop in unannounced location for him.

Lance checked inside the house, but Keith wasn’t waiting there. He went out front and found Keith waiting by his bike. “Hop on. I’m stealing you for the night.”

Lance looked at the bike then back at Keith. “Thanks, but no. I can’t just leave the farm on short notice.”

“Why not?” asked Luis from the porch. “Think the plants won’t grow without you singing to them at night?”

“Shut up!” snapped Lance.

“Sounds like you’re free,” said Keith.

“I’m not,” countered Lance. “Today’s a bad day. Come back tomorrow.”

“Yes, but today is the day that I am here,” said Keith, “And tomorrow is the day that I am not. Get on the bike. That’s an order.”

“Two things. One, you’re not my leader anymore. Two, can I at least change first? I’m covered in dirt.”

“What your wearing is fine. Trust me.” Keith tossed Lance a helmet. They always wore helmets when they rode now. Healing pods can only do so much for multiple concussions.

Keith was an insane driver and Lance found himself needing to hold on tight to keep from being thrown off. Having his arms wrapped around Keith’s waist, tugged at his memory, bringing him back to a time when simple things like touches meant small thrills. But those things were best left to the old version of himself. Lance was set in ways now. He was a quiet person. He wasn’t looking for excitement or change.

Keith took him to the middle of the nowhere. To the dessert. To the land of infertile soil where nothing but the most prickly of plants could grow. This was Keith country. It was where he grew up.

When they finally stopped, Hunk and Pidge came running up to greet them. That was unexpected. Lance enjoyed his friends, but found the surprise put him ill at ease. He wished Keith had been more clear on what they were doing on today of all days.

“You did it,” said Pidge.

“You actually got Lance off the farm,” said Hunk.

“I leave the farm,” mumbled Lance into his helmet, climbing off the bike.

“You’ve left exactly one for Allura day,” countered Pidge, somehow having understood him. “That’s not a lot of leaving for over a year.”

“When you put it that way,” sighed Lance, pulling off his helmet. “Whoa…”

“Surprise!” said Hunk and Pidge in unison. They stepped off to the sides and threw open their arms to present the thing they were surprising Lance with which was a huge canvas tent. The flaps were pulled open so Lance could see inside is was decorated with lanterns and fairy lights and was furnished with a bunch of cozy looking beds with white linens.

“Hunk,” growled Keith, angry for some reason. “I said you could set up a tent, not a palace! This is too much!”

Hunk seemed embarrassed. “I have a lot of hookups through my catering company and I thought, why camp when he can glamp?”

“What the quiznak is a glamp?” asked Keith.

“You know, glamping? Like camping, but for rich people,” clarified Hunk. The tent wasn’t even the only thing he’d brought. There was a portable fire pit with what looked like actual couches and armchairs around it. There was an outdoor kitchen set up too and he could tell from the smell wafting over that Hunk was in the midst of cooking them something amazing. They would like eat that on the full dining room set that had its own canopy covering it. “Maybe the hot tub was too much.” Oh right, and there was a hot tub.

“It’s all too much!” snapped Keith.

“This guy,” said Hunk, pointing at Keith while talking to Lance, “just wanted to throw a couple sleeping bags on the dirt.”

“Wrong,” said Keith, crossing his arms and getting that crinkle he gets between his eyebrows when he’s annoyed. “I wanted to sleep on the ground. We’re Paladins of Voltron. We don’t need all this fancy stuff.”

“Fancy like sleeping bags?” asked Pidge.

“Yes,” said Keith, though Lance could tell he knew he was being ridiculous, but was sticking to his guns anyway. 

Lance couldn’t help it, hearing them bicker like this. It got him laughing. They all immediately stopped talking and looked at him like he’d grown a second head.

“Something funny?” quipped Pidge.

“No, it’s not. This set up is really nice. Thank you, Hunk.”

“It was Keith’s idea,” said Hunk.

“This was not my idea!” cried Keith. “I would never want this!”

“No, he just wanted a sleepover in the dirt,” cooed Pidge.

“Nothing wrong with the dirt,” protested Keith because apparently this was the hill he was going to die on. “You get to see the stars that way.”

“I really like it,” said Lance, sincerely. “The dirt and the tent palace.”

“I’m glad,” said Hunk.

Keith stepped up and clapped a hand on Lance’s shoulder. “Happy birthday, buddy.”

“Thank you.”

“You didn’t want to do anything last year,” said Pidge, “we were hoping you’d be up for it this year, but figured you’d say no unless we surprised you.”

“You’re probably right,” said Lance with a sigh. “But I’m glad you surprised me.”

“How old are you again?” asked Hunk.

“Body time I think I’m twenty, but Earth time I’m twenty-three.”

“Dude, same,” said Hunk. “Pidge?”

“Eighteen, but Earth time I’m twenty-one so bar age, woo. Keith?”

“Twenty-three and twenty-four,” said Keith.

“Old-timer,” said Lance.

“Wait until you see the present I made you,” said Pidge, grabbing Lance’s arm and pulling him towards the glamp grounds.

*********  
Pidge had built him probes that he could stick into his crop soil that would give him readings of PH balance and nutrients. They would also alert him via bluetooth if they were being over or under watered. It was actually pretty cool and would definitely be helpful.

Hunk had brought him a cookware set from some alien planet that Hunk promised was completely stick free no matter how many times you use it. “Thanks, Hunk. Though this is more of a gift for my mom.”

“I like your mom,” said Hunk, cheerily.

“Yeah but… Never mind.” Lance was being rude. He hadn’t expected any gifts for his birthday after all. “Thank you. I love it.”

“And maybe you can make a meal for yourself rather than relying on mommy,” said Keith.

“Where’s your gift, Keith?” snapped Pidge, seeming to be on a mission to corner him at any chance today.

“My presence is my present,” said Keith.

“Well, we managed to be both present and give presents so where’s yours?”

“I am the present. That’s why they call it being present.”

“Are you deliberately punning or do you think you’re saying the exact same word twice?”

“Hey, we have more gifts for Lance to open,” said Hunk, cutting in. Hunk had stopped to pick up a gift from Coran. Shiro and Veronica had each sent a gift for Lance with Pidge. Lance hadn’t expected so much. It was a bit overwhelming.

“Shiro says sorry he couldn’t get away right now,” said Pidge. “Admiral duties are keeping him really busy.”

“I imagine the Garrison must be hectic,” said Lance thinking about how they were continuing to build themselves towards being the new Intergalactic Defenders with the MFE pilots taking on the their old Paladin roles in their new ships. It was okay that Lance wasn’t a part of it. That life almost felt like it had belonged to someone else. 

“Kinda nice just having the original Garrison Quad together again,” said Hunk, chirper as always.

“We weren’t a quad at the Garrison,” said Keith.

“Yeah, I know but -”

“Pidge and I didn’t even attend at the same time.”

“Seriously, Keith!” snapped Pidge. “You can never let anything slide. You’re so literal it hurts.”

Those two started arguing again and Lance found himself laughing for the second time today. Twice in one day. It was almost a pattern. But then he felt his mood darken as it often did when he’d just started to enjoy himself. Being the person people thought he was felt like a role he used to play. One he could no longer remember the lines to.

“Let’s eat already,” said Hunk, breaking into the bickering. His eyes were on Lance though. Lance recognized the look, that hidden concern he so often saw on his family’s faces.

*********

An hour later Lance was sitting in the hot tub and listening to Hunk pitch the idea of making s’mores over the fire using a chocolate-like candy he’d picked up in the Dralonian System. Lance couldn’t imagine eating again so soon. He was completely stuffed from the incredible meal Hunk had cooked them in the outdoor kitchen.

“Maybe when it’s dark out and we can appreciate the fire,” said Lance, the sun was only just starting to set. He was leaning his arms on the side of the tub and looking at towards the dessert. Keith was a bit of a ways off playing fetch with Kosmo (who had zapped into the party, late, and directly in the center of the table during supper.) 

Keith was having a hard time with the game. Kosmo had recently learned the concept of fetch. The problem was that after Keith would throw the stick, Kosmo would zap to where it was going to land, catch it in his mouth, and zap back before Keith had even finished his follow through on the throw. This meant Keith had zero rest time between throws and his game was turning into a cardio workout. Lance could hear Keith’s labored breathing from here.

“Huh?” Lance realized Hunk had said something, but he hadn’t been focusing.

“I asked if you’d ever thought about you and Keith,” said Hunk.

Lance raised an eyebrow. Thought about him and Keith how? “Like Keith and Lance, rivals, neck and neck?”

“No, I mean like Keith and Lance, boyfriends, necking.”

“Hunk!” gasped Lance, shocked by the imagery. He was blushing so hard.

“Sorry,” said Hunk, flushing redder than he already was from the heat of the hot tub. “I really shouldn’t have brought it up, but then I did.”

“Why did you bring it up?” pressed Lance, not exactly prepared to let the topic die, though that would’ve been the safest course of action.

“Oh, I don’t know,” said Hunk, completely flustered now and refusing to meet Lance’s eye. “It’s just been awhile since… well… Allura… and I always liked your energy.”

“Energy?”

“Yeah, between you and Keith. The whole vibe you two put off and I thought, I dunno, maybe one day…”

“One day what?” pressed Lance. He wasn’t aware that him and Keith had an “energy” let alone a “vibe.”

“Maybe one day you’d… findeachother – it’s not important,” said Hunk, rushing through the explanation and wincing his eyes shut.

“Wow,” said Lance, slumping forward, feeling his shoulders sink lower into the water.

“Wow?” repeated Hunk, peaking at Lance with just one eye open.

“I never really thought anyone would ask me that,” said Lance, quietly.

“Ask what?”

“Ask if I…” Lance took a deep breath, fighting against the tightness in his throat threating to strangle off what he was going to say next “If I liked Keith… or boys at all…”

Hunk was quiet, just watching Lance sort out what he’d said and what he wanted to say next.

“I kinda just figured I wouldn’t say anything ‘cause it didn’t matter...”

“What doesn’t matter, Lance?” asked Hunk, voice suddenly filled with concern.

“That I’m bi…”

“Lance, why wouldn’t that matter?” pressed Hunk, his voice filling with sadness.

“Because I’m done,” said Lance, finding the words tasting just a bit bitter.

“Done?”

“Yeah,” said Lance, sitting up with a splash of the water. “I had Allura and I loved her, but it wasn’t enough and she wouldn’t stay. Then she said she’d always love me and then died and now I’m just…” Lance stopped. He swallowed the hurt out of his voice and just kept his words plain. “She’s gone and I’m done because there’s no where to go from here.”

“Lance, no,” said Hunk, sitting forward. “There’s everywhere to go from here. I’m sorry you feel that way. I’m glad you said something, but you are so young and you have literally every possibility open to you. You can live anywhere and be anywhere and be with anyone and –”

“I get it, Hunk,” snapped Lance. “You don’t like my choices.”

“No, no no no,” said Hunk. “If this is what you need right now, to just be with your family then we want that for you. It’s you talking like you have no choice, no future… That scares us.”

“Us?” repeated Lance. “I guess I should’ve known you three did this because you feel sorry for me.”

Hunk sighed. “Don’t get it twisted, Lance. We’re doing this because we love you and want to spend time with you, but you don’t want to see us lately. This is for us to spend time with our best friend on his birthday. This isn’t pity. If anything pity us because we miss you so badly. Keith more than anyone which is why I started this conversation, but… But we ended up in a different place than where we started.”

“Keith more than anyone?” Lance maybe shouldn’t have focused on that. Didn’t need to dig further.

“I mean he likes you,” said Hunk. “Likes you likes you.”

“Did he tell you that?” asked Lance, looking over to Keith who was sitting on the ground tired, but Kosmos was circling and nudging him, trying to get him to throw the stick again.

“Not with words, but I have eyes and a brain and I can figure this stuff out. You said you were bi so… Do you… like Keith?”

“I,” began Lance then something inside him slammed shut and he said, “No, it wouldn’t be right to Allura.”

“You got to be quiznaking kidding me!” Pidge’s voice came out of literally no where and it spooked Lance so much he jumped to his feet, causing a wave of water that spashed over the side of the hot tub. “Lance!” shrieked Pidge again. “You princess quiznaking quiznaker! You got water on my computer!” Lance peaked over the side to see Pidge sitting on the ground, back leaning against the hot tub as she furiously wiped water off her keyboard with her sleave. “If there’s water damage to the motherboard I’m going to give you the mother of all water boardings!”

“What the hell are you doing sneaking up and listening in on a private conversation?” scolded Lance.

“Private conversation?” echoed Pidge. “I’ve been sitting here the entire time!”

“You have not!”

“If you don’t notice me and have a private conversation in front of me, that’s on you, buddy!” said Pidge, standing up and sticking a finger in Lance’s face. “Also, what the hell do you mean liking Keith wouldn’t be fair to Allura? Allura’s gone, Lance, and she sure as quiznak wouldn’t want you to be sad and alone for the rest of your life just because of that. Allura would want you to be happy.”

Slam. Something else inside Lance shut as he stared down Pidge. “You don’t understand.”

“I actually think I understand better than you do,” said Pidge. “You’re too close to it and you don’t see what being with Allura did to you and what it’s still doing to you.”

“What does that mean?” asked Lance, anger seeping into his question.

“It means things were never equal between you two. You thought you weren’t good enough so you gave Allura all the power and you continue to let the idea of her have all the power which extra sucks because your idea of Allura isn’t accurate to actual Allura who would want you to be happy.”

“That’s not true!”

“Yes, it is. You put Allura on a pedestal right from the beginning. You know that’s true, Lance.” Lance had been mid-eyeroll when Pidge snapped at him. “And when she died you put her on a literal pedestal when you had that statue of her built.”

“Oh yeah, that was such an accurate metaphor,” said Hunk, his voice a mix of amused and anxious. “When we all saw it we were like, oh no, he put her on a literal pedestal. Now he’s never going to get over her.” Hunk was chuckling, but when he caught Lance’s eye his face went blank and he clammed up.

“I don’t want to get over her,” said Lance. Hunk and Pidge shared a look and that immediately annoyed him. “What?”

“Would Allura want that?” asked Hunk.

“She wouldn’t want me to forget her,” clarified Lance, completely frustrated.

“Those are two different things,” said Hunk, kindly. “I think there are ways you could honour Allura without making your world smaller. Have you spoken to anyone about this? Like a professional?”

“Who would understand?” mumbled Lance, looking down at the water.

“It’s not always about being understood,” said Hunk. “It’s about talking about these things out loud. I’ve been doing video sessions with an Taujeerian shrink and it’s really been helping.”

“You’ve been doing therapy?” Lance had no idea.

“I’ve been doing group sessions with my family,” said Pidge, her voice no longer angry. “They have counseling services at the Garrison. We all need it after what we’ve been through, but my mom more than anyone. She thought we were all dead.” Lance was shocked. The Holts seemed like the toughest family. Especially Colleen.

“Pffft, Keith isn’t in therapy,” said Lance, needing to find some excuse to dismiss this conversation.

“Are you kidding?” laughed Hunk. “He got me into it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. He started out by going to this Galran group on how to deal with loss of a loved one. Turns out the Galran method is: Plot your revenge. That not being what he was looking for he found an intergalactic support group for dealing with loss.”

“Who did he -?”

“His dad,” said Hunk. “He said it’s never too late to heal. And… And he said it’s been giving him ideas on how to better support you.”

“Me?” asked Lance. This hot tub was getting too warm. He pushed himself out of the water and sat up on the side.

“Lance,” whined Pidge, who was apparently sitting behind him again and who he had apparently splashed again.

“Yeah, have you not noticed the extra support from him?” asked Hunk.

“No,” said Lance. “I mean, he visits a lot.”

“Yeah, like once a month?”

“More like every other week… When he’s in the neighbourhood, you know.”

“Lance,” said Hunk with an eye roll.

“Earth isn’t a neighbourhood Keith is ever in, dummy,” said Pidge from behind him. “He’s not dropping by. He’s making deliberate trips across galaxies to see you.” Wow… Lance was dumb. “Because he loves you and wants to bone you.”

“Pidge!” protested Hunk.

“Whaaaaat?” whined Pidge. “We’ve been keeping this secret for so long. Can’t we just talk about it already?”

“There’s no way Keith loves me.”

“Keith is literally obsessed with you,” said Pidge. “He started a text chain just to talk about you.”

“No he –” Lance was cut off when Pidge’s phone was shoved in his face and he saw evidence of this chat. “Wait… you guys have a text chain without me?”

“To talk about you,” said Pidge, as if this was okay. “Everyone’s on it. Even Krolia.”

“Man, she does not say much,” said Hunk, “but when she does it is hilariously dry… Either that or she’s not joking and she’s being really mean.”

“Keith might be quiet in person,” said Pidge, “but man, that boy does not shut up in text. ‘Guys, Lance’s birthday’s coming up. Guys, we should try to throw him a party. Guys, here’s some gift ideas for Lance’s birthday. I’m not going to get him anything, but someone else should buy him this…’ Blah, blah, blah. Obsessed.”

Lance took the phone and scrolled through the messages. More than half of them were Keith. Okay then… “That’s best bro stuff.”

“Don’t no homo your relationship with Keith,” said Pidge with a snort as she snatched her phone back.

“Why would he like me?” asked Lance, mostly to himself.

“Why would he like you?” Pidge practically yelled back. As if this was the most offensive statement she’d ever heard. She was so loud in fact that Keith sat up on the ground and looked towards them.

“Oh crap,” said Lance, crashing back into the water so he could duck down and hide.

“Lance!” snapped Pidge as he’d splashed her again. Keith seemed to think Pidge yelling Lance’s name was perfectly normal because he got up and went back to tossing the stick for Kosmo. Feeling it was safe, Lance raised himself back up in the water. “You are honestly so dumb. So many people have had crushes on you and you never even noticed.”

“What? Like you?”

“No!” scoffed Pidge, her cheeks turning red. “Maybe… For like a week.”

“Oh man, you should’ve seen her that week,” chuckled Hunk. “She did not enjoy having feelings. It made her ragey.”

“Shut up, Hunk!” snapped Pidge.

“You’re pretty ragey now,” said Lance with a sly grin. “Kinda seems like you’re currently in love with me.”

“Oh man, there it is!” cheered Hunk. “Flirty Lance! You did flirty Lance!”

“I…?” Lance realized he’d been resting his chin on his fingers and cocking his eyebrow. That felt familiar.

Pidge let out of a big sigh. “It’s good to see you that side of you again.”

“Especially when it’s directed at you,” said Lance, leaning forward.

“Don’t over do it,” said Pidge, grabbing hold of the top of Lance’s head and shoving him under water.

When Lance broke the surface her heard both Pidge and Hunk laughing. It actually sounded nice to hear them genuinely laughing like that. Lately it seemed like everyone was so guarded around him and laughs were either strangled or forced. That’s kinda why it was nice to have Keith coming around so much. Keith never expected much from him. Never required entertainment or never acted like he needed much of a reaction from Lance when he spoke. Being with Keith could be so peaceful.

Lance hadn’t even noticed he was staring off at Keith while he thought this until Hunk whispered directly in his ear. “Go. Be with him.”

“Hunk!” shrieked Lance, shoving him away. He was all up in his grill inside that hot tub.

“To paraphrase what Shiro would say in this situation,” said Pidge, pushing up her glasses. “Go. Be gay.”

“Pidge,” groaned Lance.

“Do it! Do it! Do it!” Hunk began the chant and Pidge joined in.

“I don’t think you two understand what you’re asking me to do,” snapped Lance.

“We’re asking you to do it, do it, do it,” said Pidge making an obscene gesture that doesn’t need to be described.

“My head’s a mess okay!” Then Lance sighed. It was hard admitting this. “I honestly don’t know how I feel one second to another. It’s easier to just chose not to…”

“Lance,” said Hunk. “I want you to know that all these negative thoughts and feelings you’re having, that’s okay. Depression is a natural reaction to trauma. The important thing is you don’t buy into those thoughts. You can have them, but do your best to dismiss what isn’t helpful and keep what is. You get to choose what to act on and when you do just take it like baby steps.”

“Okay,” said Lance still processing this. “I – I think I want to talk to Keith.”

“Ohhhhh,” said Pidge.

“For reasons unrelated to the conversation we’ve just been having!” Lance stood up as he said this.

“Sure, but maybe don’t show so much skin when you talk to him. The whole nearly naked and dripping wet is going to say things very much related to the conversation we’ve just been having.”

Lance simultaneously blushed and scowled. “Don’t judge people based on their appearance, Pidge,” said Lance, vaulting himself out of the hot tub and splashing her for the tenth time.

“Uggggh! Sleep with one eye open tonight!” growled Pidge as he walked away from her.

Despite what he’d said, Lance went into the tent to change. He put on his jeans and discovered on their beds Hunk had left personalized souvenir t-shirts for each of them to commemorate the party. Lance’s was blue and written on it was “When I say Vol, you say Tron.” Lance pulled it on, checked himself out in the mirror, set his jaw and walked out, making a B-Line for where Keith was throwing the stick. With his peripherals Lance could see Hunk with a huge grin giving him double thumbs up. Ugh, what if Keith turned and saw.

“Hey,” said Lance, walking up to Keith.

“Hey,” echoed Keith. Lance noticed he’d put on his own personalized shirt, which was red and just said “Voltron?” Man, that was funny, Keith probably didn’t get the joke.

“Want me to throw for a while?” asked Lance. 

“Oh, yes thank you,” said Keith, relieved as he handed Lance the stick. “My arm feels like it’s going to fall off.”

“You could just stop,” suggested Lance, giving the stick a really good throw with his fresh arm. Didn’t matter how far it went though as Kosmo just zapped the distance and zapped back.

“You don’t know what he’s like when he’s mad,” said Keith.

Lance threw the stick again only for Kosmo to zap to get it then zap back. “He ever tell you his real name?”

“No,” grumbled Keith. Keith pushed a stray hair back out of his face. His mullet had grown so long he’d started wearing it in a ponytail to keep it under control. It looked cute this way. No, nevermind… Wait, yes, it did. Lance was in the habbit of dismissing thoughts of Keith looking cute which happened a lot actually. Increasingly so lately... 

He’d tried really hard to not think these things, not think about how he liked the way Keith’s shoulders moved when he bent down to give Kosmo scratches or the way his lips pressed together when he smiled or the way he smelt so nice after showering at Lance’s parent’s place and how Lance so often just wanted to reach out and touch him in little ways. A hand on the small of his back, a cheek dropped against his shoulder, a knee leaning against his… He’d think these things, but he wouldn’t touch. He’d just push the thoughts away. But no, those were the good thoughts he should keep. Thoughts like, ‘Allura would hate this if she knew,’ that was a thought he could throw away.

“You look like you have something on your mind,” said Keith, standing up.

“I guess,” said Lance, remembering to toss the stick. “So um, thanks for planning this.”

“Hunk planned it,” said Keith, automatically. That was a lie. Lance had seen the texts. Why lie? “That it?”

“No, I… uh. I can’t seem to gather my thoughts and throw at the same time.”

“Here,” said Keith, grabbing the stick. He then mimed throwing it, but tucked it behind his back. Kosmo proved himself to be much like any other dog as he totally didn’t notice the deception and zapped off to look for the stick. He zapped into a spot, looked. Zapped to another spot, looked and on and on like this all over the dessert, silhouetted by the setting sun. “So what do you want to tell me?”

“It might shock you.”

“Okay.”

“I – uh…” Lance looked down at his feet. “Iusedtohaveacrushonyou,” Lance rushed through the words. “Back on the Castleship… And maybe a bit at the Garrison.”

“Oh? Is that all?” Why Keith no react? “I used to have a crush on you too.” Why he say that like it’s not a bomb?

“You… did?” squeaked Lance.

“Yeah, we liked each other. We used to flirt a bit.” Keith said this all with a casual shrug.

“I knew I was flirting. I didn’t know you were flirting back!” Why Lance yell this?

Keith smiled, pressing his lips together in that nice way that made Lance want to lean in closer. “I knew you were oblivious, but this is too much.”

“But if you liked me, why didn’t you say anything? ”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” countered Keith. Touché. “Seriously though, it’s because I knew you liked Allura too. I figured I’d just wait until you made up your mind. You asked her out so that answered my question.” Keith sighed and looked out at the setting sun. Keith had always liked watching the sunset.

Lance was flustered, still trying to process what Keith had confessed. “Did it… Did it hurt you when I asked her out? You seemed so supportive.”

“I was quietly dying on the inside,” said Keith, crossing his arms and looking at the ground. “But I know you and you like to be needed. Allura really needed you back then while I… I was good. I’m still good so it’s okay.”

“I’m sorry,” said Lance. “It wasn’t even that I liked her more than you. I just… I wasn’t prepared to admit that I liked a guy.”

“I can’t exactly blame you for that,” said Keith. “I was in the same boat. I could’ve asked you out, but I didn’t. I was passive so it was kinda on me. I regret it though.”

“You do?” asked Lance, finding a blush threatening to creep up on him.

“Well, strategically it makes no sense,” said Keith, turning to look at Lance. “You lose every battle you don’t fight in.”

“I guess,” said Lance with a sigh, “things could’ve gone differently.”

Keith shrugged. What did that mean? Did Lance actually accomplish anything? Now he just felt sad and unsure. 

“That reminds me,” said Keith, going into the pocket of his black jeans and pulling out a card. Lance thought maybe it was a birthday card meaning Keith had in fact got him something for his birthday other than his “presence,” but when Lance looked it was actually a wedding invitation. “Shiro asked me to give that to you.”

“Wow. So this is really happening?” asked Lance, inspecting the invite.

“Yep.”

“Doesn’t it seem a bit… quick?”

Keith shrugged again. “Shiro said he gave up his chance at happiness once. This time he’s not wasting any time.”

“Good for him I guess.” This actually presented an opportunity. Lance almost threw the idea away, almost chose to believe the idea that said he shouldn’t go to the wedding and bring everyone down, but instead he went with his first thought. “Do you wanna go together?”

“Sure,” said Keith, totally casual. “I hadn’t planned on bringing anyone.”

“Um Keith,” said Lance. “I don’t think you noticed this, but I asked you out on a date.”

Keith remained perfectly still, almost frozen, but his eyes went wide.

“Keith?”

“Are you… sure?”

“Yeah, I know what I said.”

“But like did you do it on purpose?” asked Keith, sounding panicked. “You can take it back if you’re not ready. Like if it’s too soon…”

“Do you want to take back your yes?”

“No,” said Keith then quickly added, “No, I want to keep it as a yes.”

“Cool. So we will have our first date at Shiro’s wedding.”

“Okay,” agreed Keith.

They both just stood there watching Kosmo zap around in search of the stick Keith had dropped behind his back. Lance felt this sensation bubbling inside his chest. He almost didn’t recognize the feeling at first. It had been a long time since he’d felt happy and allowed himself to look forward to something in the future.

Lance looked back at Keith to see he had the most peculiar look on his face, like he was biting back a scream. “Keith, you okay?” Keith nodded, incapable of opening his mouth at the moment. “Then why are you -?” Lance stopped speaking as soon as Keith dropped down into a squat. “Keith?” Keith’s head was sagged, but now it sounded like he was holding back laughter. “What is going on with you?” asked Lance, and he squatted down next to Keith.

Keith let out the rest of the laugh with a snort. It was a moment before he could say. “I waited so long for this and now we’re acting like it’s nothing and I can’t –“ Keith broke out full on laughing.

“No, it’s not nothing! It is a big deal!” said Lance, wrapping his arm around the small of Keith’s back. So this is what it was like to follow that instinct to touch Keith… It felt so nice.

“I know, it’s a big deal. That’s why I’m so happy. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, Keith, geez.” Lance was rubbing Keith’s back. Keith finally looked up at him and his smile was so beautiful. If Keith got this happy and adorable after being asked out, what would he look like if Lance kissed him? “Can I kiss you?” The words through out of Lance’s mouth before he had a chance to doubt his desire to ask.

“What?” gasped Keith, tipping off his feet and falling back onto his butt.

That was not the reaction Lance had been doing for. “Never mind,” said Lance.

“No, no. Don’t never mind it,” said Keith, looking for flustered. Wow. Lance had no clue Keith could get so awkward. “I just didn’t think you would be ready to kiss and it surprised me.”

“If the question knocks you off your feet, imagine what the kiss would be like.” Lance recognized his own tone. He was flirting again. How was he saying these words? Why did Keith being nervous make Lance bold? Keith didn’t actually speak, but wet his bottom lip, looking really embarrassed. Keith was leaning back on his hands, propping himself up. He was practically recoiled which was a good reason to give Keith an out. “Keith, I’m not going to kiss you unless you want me to, but if you’re not ready…”

“I’m ready,” said Keith, suddenly finding his voice. “I’ve been ready to kiss you for the past five yea –“ Keith cut himself off with a blush as Lance placed his hands on either side of Keith’s reclined body, hovering himself over top of him. Keith’s eyes left Lance’s as they drifted down to focus on his lips. Lance leaned in as Keith tipped his chin up to meet him. Lance kept the pressure light, placing his bottom lip just under Keith’s bottom lip and dragging it just a bit up and – oh wow Keith’s lips were so soft. Is this what kissing a boy was like? Is this what kissing Keith was like? This was so long overdo.

When Lance’s bottom lip crested over Keith’s bottom lip, Keith pressed his lips together, capturing Lance’s lip there and giving it a gentle suck. It was like fire ripping through him. Lance had never been so hyper aware of his senses. His thoughts were wrapped up in the warmth of Keith’s lips. He could probably tell you the exact moisture content of their kiss. He was like one of Pidge’s probes. 

Keith released his bottom lip with a toe curling graze and Lance pulled back thinking, ‘yes, that was enough. That was a perfect start.’ And he could’ve been satisfied with that for lifetimes to come, but as he leaned away, he got stuck and glanced down to realize Keith had captured the front of his t-shirt in his fist and was holding him in place.

Lance flicked his gaze up to meet Keith’s eye and gone was the awkward, silently giggling Keith from a moment before. Now he recognized that look as the hothead Keith who would run full tilt into a battle no matter how outnumbered he was. Wow. That look was hot. And that look was directed at him. 

A firm tug and Lance was helpless to resist. He was putty. Sinking down because it was Keith’s will. Going from hovering over Keith’s reclined body to sitting in his lap. A second tug transported his lips back to Keith’s. So much for that sweet little first kiss to hold them over until their date. That kiss had been the opener. This was the headliner, deep and hungry and including the slightest nip of teeth that made Lance whimper. The noise traveled up from his gut and into Keith’s mouth, the vibration making the whole thing all that more amazing.

To think Lance had come over here feeling like he needed to force himself to take baby steps and now it felt like… like he had stopped holding back. 

“Woohoohoo!” came Pidge’s voice from the glampground. “Get a room! Not the tent though. Gross. We’re sleeping there.” Lance wanted to tell her off, but his mouth was a bit busy.

“Proud of you!” shouted Hunk. Hunk was a good wingman. He’d thank him, but once again, mouth busy.

Lance was just getting bold enough to slip his hand behind Keith’s neck and slide it up to that soft black hair. Lance almost wished it wasn’t pulled into that ponytail so he could tangle his fingers in – ZAP! Kosmo teleported right in between them and knocked Lance back so he found himself lying in the dirt. “Oh no!” said Keith, scrambling to get out from under his wolf. “He figured out I never threw the stick and he’s mad.”

“What’s he gonna –“ Keith was zapped away before Lance could finish asking his question. Next he wanted to know where Kosmo was taking him. He found out soon enough as ZAP! Kosmo and Keith teleported several feet above the ground only for Kosmo to ZAP! back to the actual ground leaving Keith to fall four feet and land on his back. Keith groaned with the impact. 

“Keith!” gaspedd Lance, scrambling over to his side. Kosmo was sitting beside them, panting and happy as if he was satisfied with what he’d done. “You okay?”

“Worth it,” groaned Keith.

“C’mon,” said Lance, offering his hand and helping him up. Once Keith was standing neither let go and then they stood there, looking at their clasped hands and blushing. They’d just been kissing, but handholding was freaking them out. Okay, but this was more intimate somehow? Yet it also felt familiar, Keith’s hand in his.

“Hey Birthday Boy,” called out Hunk. “Time to make s’mores!” The sun had dipped below the horizon while him and Keith had been making out.

“Unless you want s’more of Keith’s spit,” added Pidge.

“This is going to be embarrassing, isn’t it?” mumbled Keith.

“Let’s get it over with,” said Lance.

“So you two are just going to straight to PDA? Already?” asked Pidge, looking at Keith and Lance as they walked up.

“We’ve been waiting years for this,” said Keith. “I think you can handle seeing us hold hands.”

“We’re taking it slow, Pidge,” said Lance. “We haven’t even tongue kissed.”

“According to my calculations that I’m basing off the DNA samples I took from both of you, your respective Altean and Galra blood will keep you both alive well into the next millennia. Relatively speaking, having both kissed and held hands on the same day means your relationship is moving at lightning speed.”

“Wait…,” said Keith, “When did you take our DNA?”

“Which time?” asked Pidge.

“You took our DNA multiple times?” yelled Keith.

“Relax. It’s not like you needed it.”

“I want my DNA back!” yelled Keith, hunching down so he could clench a threatening fist in Pidge’s face.

“That’s not how it works!” Pidge yelled back, not the least bit phased by Keith’s threatening stance.

Lance found himself spurting with laughter yet again, okay maybe it was Keith and Pidge specifically fighting that triggered the funny. The sound of Lance laughing seemed to immediately cut the tension as Keith turned to Lance, starting out with a “what’s so funny look” only to immediately switch to an “I adore you look,” which Lance had to admit he’d seen many times on Keith’s face, but never fully made the connection that it mean Keith liked him. Okay, maybe there were moments of suspicion, but Lance would always immediately dismiss those thoughts. However, this time, he held that thought and let it warm him.

“Wait,” said Lance, cluing in finally on what Pidge had first said. “What about my Altean DNA? No one ever explained these marks to me. I just thought they were like… a parting gift that sometimes glow.”

“You have some Altean ancestors from way back,” explained Pidge. “Must’ve come to Earth to hide a couples thousand years ago while fleeing the expanding Galran empire. Likely used their shapeshifting powers to blend in then did the dead with your great-great-great-and-so-on grand-whatever. The Altean part of your DNA lay dormant until Allura activated it. Or trauma activated it.”

“How can DNA be activated?”

“It’s called Epigenetics,” said Pidge. “It’s a modification of your gene expression.”

“Sure,” said Lance, shaking his head because this was all too much information.

“Okay, let me dumb that down,” said Pidge, looking between Keith and Lance. “You both got face tattoos and now you goin’ live a long time.”

********

Hunk’s s’mores were out of this world. Literally. Because of the alien ingredients. Lance’s face hurt when he went to bed since he wasn’t used to smiling so much. There was a lot of times during the evening that he wanted to just retreat into himself instead of staying present with his friends, talking around a camp fire, but then he’d feel Keith’s thumb rub against the back of his hand and he’d remember to stay in the moment.

Lance set up the new version of the Olkarian cube Coran had gifted him that projected star systems onto the ceiling of the tent. Of course this tech already existed on Earth, but Olkari cube could float! The lights dancing provided a nice atmosphere when they shut off the fairy lights and lanterns for bedtime.

The way the beds were set up, Lance’s bed was only a foot and half away from Keith’s. He wondered if Hunk had done this deliberately. It was definitely distracting, especially since Keith was sleeping with one arm hanging off the side closest to him. Lance spent a solid twenty-four minutes staring at that arm before decided to go for it and reaching out of his blankets so he could grab Keith’s hand. Keith’s fingers immediately intertwined with his. Okay, so maybe Keith wasn’t asleep.

“Keith,” whispered Lance. Negative thoughts were tugging at his brain and he felt maybe it was best to just say them rather than wallow in them. 

“Mmhmm?” mumbled Keith.

“You know I’m not okay, right?”

“What’s wrong?” gasped Keith, propping himself up, fully alert.

“No, nothing immediately. I just meant…” Lance frowned, finding this hard to word. “You know I’ve been struggling a lot since… Since it all happened and although I’m happy to have this,” Lance gave Keith’s hand a tug, “that doesn’t mean I’m always going to act happy. I want this to start, you and me, but it’s not going to be an instant cure for everything that’s troubling me.”

“Lance, I know that,” said Keith. “You’re depressed and I’ve been trying to support you as a friend and I can keep doing that as more than a friend. I’ve… I’ve been there. A lot. A good chunk of my life. Becoming friends with you and the others helped me slowly turn that around. I know it’s an uphill battle and I’d be lying if I said I felt good about myself all the time even now.”

“But you’re so… amazing,” said Lance.

Keith let out a light chuckle. “You know it’s not as simple as that. But… you know how amazing I think you are, right?”

“Nope. You’ve never said that.”

“Well, that’s how I feel. I want to be with you, Lance, even during your bad times, even when you need to lock yourself in your room and lie in bed all day. I’ll just wait outside the door.”

“Like you waited outside my healing pod?” asked Lance.

“… Okay, who told you that?”

“Shiro…”

Keith was quiet for a second then he said, “Seriously, how were you so in denial over me liking you?”

“I don’t know. I guess believing people care about me and want me around is something I need to work on.”

“C’mere,” said Keith, tugging at Lance’s arm through their clasped hands.

Lance sat up in bed. He wanted to kiss Keith again. Make sure he wasn’t imagining how perfect it felt. Lance leaned over across the gap, but misjudged the distance and found himself face planting on the floor between the beds with a loud thud.

“Wow,” said Keith with a laugh. “Can you just literally come here?” He lifted up his blanket, inviting Lance into his bed. Lance actually blushed before crawling in. Once again he had all these thoughts about how he’d like to touch Keith, but he felt awkward. Luckily it was Keith that scooted closer and wrapped his top arm around Lance and maneuvered his legs to they intertwined. “This too much?” asked Keith.

“No, it’s nice,” said Lance.

“Let me know if I’m moving too fast,” said Keith. “We have time… I hope.”

There was doubt there, that maybe Lance would change his mind completely. But really it was Lance who felt like Keith might not like every part of him. “Keith, how can you… How can you want to be with me knowing I loved her?”

“You mean how can I want to be with someone who has an incredible capacity to love? Hmmm,” whispered Keith with just a hint of sarcasm.

“I’m not joking. This bugs me. I’m worried talking about Allura will scare you off.”

“It hasn’t yet,” said Keith and that was true. “I know who you are, who I fell for and I believe… someday you could feel that way about me.”

Someday. In the future. Being in love with Keith. It was strange because Lance felt like he was only just discovering what he already felt for Keith. Like he was just scratching the surface of something he’d been hiding from himself because he wasn’t ready. “I’d like that,” said Lance, since he didn’t feel up to explaining the full depth of what he was thinking. 

It was enough for Keith who brushed his fingers across Lance’s cheek. Lance captured those fingers with his hand, pressing them in place on his face as he leaned in and kissed Keith again. He could get used to this, kissing him in a bed. This was something else entirely.

The moment of bliss was interrupted by Keith wincing. Lance didn’t understand what had caused this until he felt the pain of one of his hairs being plucked from his head. “Ow!”

“Don’t mind me,” whispered Pidge from her position crouched behind the bed. “I want to test your hormone levels in this moment. I’m making a spread sheet.”

“Pidge!” snapped Keith.

“What? It’s colour coded and I want to use the colour red!”

“That’s not an excuse!” said Keith, starting to sit up, but Lance grabbed him by the shoulders. He didn’t want him to leave the bed.

“No, shush, cuddles,” said Lance.

“I don’t like it when she steals my DNA,” grumbled Keith.

“Let her have it. I get the real you.”

This seemed to subdue Keith’s rage as he cuddled back up to Lance in bed. Maybe kissing with Pidge in the room and Hunk snoring nearby wasn’t the best idea. They could wait. They had time. Instead he just enjoyed having Keith’s warmth in his arms. He felt so solid and sturdy. He used to worry so much about Keith leaving again. But in the end it was Allura that left and Keith who stayed.

Lance was just drifting off when he heard a ZAP and panting. Kosmo had to be in the tent. Lance heard the padding of soft doggie feet approaching and then felt the weight shift on the end of the bed. Was he…? No, Kosmo was the size of a horse now, he wouldn’t. Nope. He would. Kosmo climbed onto the bed causing the whole mattress to compress on that end. But that wasn’t the worst of it. The worst part was when Kosmo settled himself down on top of their legs.

“Keith,” said Lance, his voice strangled with concern that this enormous weight on his feet was going to cut off the blood flow.

“Yeah, he does that. He still thinks he’s puppy size.”

“He’s crushing my legs.”

“Yeah, good luck moving him.”

Then the whole bottom half of the bed dropped, the legs crushed under the weight of Kosmo and they were really lying on an angle with the wolf already asleep on their legs. 

“Night Keith,” said Lance, accepting the absurd situation as what was happening now.

“Night Lance.”  
They drifted off. This would be the first of many nights of having the horse-sized cosmic wolf sleep on the end of the bed with them. When Shiro’s wedding came around it was less like a first date and more like officially introducing all their friends to them as a couple. (Though really word had already gotten around. Pidge had emailed everyone the spreadsheet. There was a lot of red on it by that point.)

As Lance predicted, their new relationship was not a quick fix for his depression. He continued to have bad days, but he started in on therapy and with Keith supporting him and continuing to come stay with him every other week, slowly the good days started to over take the bad days.

Six months in Keith started inviting Lance to come with him on Blade missions and other adventures in space. It took twenty tries before he finally agreed, but he kept saying yes after that.

A year after that, Shiro asked Lance to be a flight instructor at the Garrison. It took three tries before he finally accepted the job on the condition that he could still go on adventures with Keith whenever he liked.

Several years later, Keith asked him a question of a completely different nature and it only took the one try for Lance to say yes. Pidge warned them that due to their lengthy life spans it would’ve made more sense to put it off another hundred years, but Keith and Lance couldn’t help themselves. They couldn’t wait to wear those rings.

The future belonged to them.


End file.
